Come and Cry at My Funeral - Chapter 18
In any case, he never thought he’d end up marrying her, even as a half-wife and an insult.
Around then, the memory of her softly pleading voice came to him.
〈If I ever fall sick, I would appreciate it if you could be a bit kinder to me then…〉
The wrinkle on Izar’s forehead deepened.
‘Was even that request just an act of hypocrisy?’
Until she said those words, the shepherdess had maintained a composed expression.
But when she uttered that pathetic plea, her face looked so desperate it silenced even Izar.
It was as if a dying person was pleading for one more day to live.
“Hah…”
His heart was tight with humiliation, his head throbbing because of this burden.
But before his foolish heart could waver, his conviction spoke to him.
〈Remember, Izar.〉
And his conviction came in the form of his deceased father.
Before Izar rose to prominence, the most famous swordsman in the empire was the previous Duke Arcturus.
A valiant incarnation of swordsmanship, adored by everyone, and the sun for the young Izar.
〈Do not be beguiled or deceived by women.〉
That was until he lost his light and plummeted to the ground because of his mother.
His father trained Izar with tears in his eyes.
With each session, his father would grab Izar’s shoulders and look him in the eye.
〈Being deceived means you’re being made a fool of.〉
His eyes burned with resentment towards his wife, and shame derived from her.
And his father wanted to instill that same fire in Izar.
〈If someone dares to insult you like that, even if it’s a woman, do not let them get away with it.〉
〈…….〉
〈Do not ever suffer the same humiliation I did, my son.〉
With his hands blistered, Izar tightly grasped his sword and nodded.
〈Yes, father.〉
His father was right.
His father had loved and cherished his mother deeply. She hailed from a lower household, yet she was accepted with open arms by her husband and the people of the land, offering her comfort and refuge.
Nevertheless, she betrayed them all. She gave her heart away to a mere commoner rebel and ran away with him.
Hence, Izar promised his father.
〈I will never be deceived.〉
〈By anyone?〉
His father, with eyes as bright as Izar’s own golden ones, pressed him.
The grip on his shoulder felt as if it was piercing through bone, but Izar calmly swore to his idol.
〈Yes. Never, even when I marry.〉
〈……Good.〉
Only then did the previous Duke release young Izar.
So, Izar Arcturus decided it was better to betray than be betrayed, to inflict wounds rather than receive them.
His golden eyes hardened once more with resolve.
‘It doesn’t matter what her true intentions are.’
No longer interested in being a pawn in the mockery of the Emperor and the Antares family, it was right to distance himself from her, even if she was innocent.
Izar turned to leave. But before he took another step, a faint moan came from the direction of the chair.
“Mmh…”
It was a thin, bird-like voice.
Curled up in an upright chair, it was natural for her to sound uncomfortable. Her slender neck seemed pained as she rubbed it against the chair’s backrest.
Izar watched her discomfort for a moment but ultimately turned and left.
Once he decided on something, he never changed his mind.
Stepping out of the room, the head butler bowed to him.
“Milord, your room has been prepared for the night.”
“Understood. And go in there and lay her properly on the bed.”
The butler hesitated for a moment.
But being experienced in serving nobility, he quickly caught the unspoken words.
“Yes, Milord.”
Izar said no more.
After a day of wedding-related irritations, he wanted nothing more than to shut off any concern for the troublesome bride.
***
Freesia had waited quietly in the dark for the door to open, hoping for a small change that might prompt it. However, the Duke never returned.
Exhausted from the aftermath of the wedding, she eventually fell asleep. Even without making any mistakes the second time around, resisting the malice that wished for her humiliation was not easy.
But when she awoke, Freesia was confused by the soft sensation on her back.
‘Did I manage to get into bed by myself last night…?’
No, she had no such memory, so someone else must have moved her to the bed.
And the only person who would enter this bridal chamber came to mind.
‘Could it have been the Duke?’
Hope bubbled up like froth on water.
But before she could indulge in that faint hope, the door opened, and a maid in a white apron entered.
Freesia, her hair still disheveled, saw the redheaded maid bow first.
The maid, with black eyes and freckles across her nose bridge, looked agile and tenacious.
“Nice to meet you.”
“You are…”
“I am Thea, assigned to serve you, Madam.”
“…….”
Freesia stared at the maid’s face. The corners of her mouth were tightly pulled, hinting at barely contained displeasure.
With a renewed sense of reliving time, Freesia’s eyes darkened.
‘So, she has come again this time.’
